Toothpick



March 2 ,1926. 1,575,317

I I ,J. P. CARMICHAEL TOOTHPICK Filed Jan. 11. 1922 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY-3 Patented Mar. 2, 1926.

1,575,317 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN P. CABMICHAEL, or MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

TOOTI-IPICK.

Application mam- 11, 1922. Serial No. 528,506.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN P. OARMrorIAnL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, county of Milwaukee, and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Toothpicks, of which the following is a specification,

My invention relates to improvements in tooth picks;

The objects of my invention are to provide a form of tooth pick, which is adapted particularly to be used as a probe between the gums and teeth, and between the root portions of adjoining teeth without injury to the surfaces with which it contacts, but in a manner to effectually remove foreign matter; to provide a form of tooth pick which will medicate the surfaces to which it is ap-' plied; which will not wound or introduce fragments or slivers into the delicate gum tissues; which will be extremely flexible .at this point, and sufiiciently rigid otherwise to promote efiective manipulation.

A further object is to provide tooth picks which will be of uniform quality and flexibility; and which may be used as an effective brush between the gums and teeth.

In the drawings V Figure 1 illustrates one embodiment of my invention on an enlarged scale, with one end portion broken away obliquely to show the interior structure.

Figure 2 is a similar View showing a modification.

Figure 3 is a view showing a tooth pick package adapted to be marketed as a new article of manufacture.

Figure 4 shows a further modification.

Figure 5 illustrates the pick in use.

The improved tooth pick has a longitudinally extending central core piece composed of fibrous material 1, having a reinforcing covering or binder 2, and progressively thickening from the point 3 toward the central portion. The covering 2 may be composed of any suitable composition such as parafiin, celluloid or rubber impregnated with a medicament or antiseptic material near the point, or near both ends if pointed at both ends.

The fibrous core piece is preferably artificially formed and composed of a flattened bundle of fibers, connected with each other by the binder to form an integral unit. The binding material may extend tothe extreme point as shown in Figure 1, or it may terminate near the point leaving the fibers exposed as shown at 3 in Figure 2. If exposed,'the binder will extend closely enough to the point'to hold the fibers from spreading to any great extent, and to keep them from breaking away. The tips may sepa rate slightly however, and are adapted to brush out foreign matter from between the teeth and gums whenethe pick is manipulated with a sweeping motion along tbe sur faces to be cleaned.

The bundle of fibers being preferably fiattened and tapered at the point 3, and being reinforced as above described, it becomes possible to provide a point of extreme thinness and flexibility, which will not break or disintegratelunder proper usage, but which will follow the contour of a tooth root or enter crevices in or between teeth, and be guided even by delicatetissue without tearing, wounding or penetrating such tissue.

Where the character or quality of the reinforcing or binder composition is. such as to prevent it from properly distributin the antiseptic material or medicament, sucii material may be applied as a coating direct- 1y to the fibers, or as indicated in Figure 1, it may be applied to an intermediate cellulose binder which connects the fibers with each other, and which in turn is reinforced by a covering of rubber or celluloid along the central portion or shank portion of the pick.

The improved picks are peculiarly adapted to be assembled in a package, wherein the shanks are bound in parallel relation to each other by a connecting back or bar 4:, from when required for use. The bar may be secured to, or between, a set of covers 5 which protects the picks, and keeps them in a sanitary condition.

. While the device is referred to as a tooth pick, its function more nearly resembles that of a probe, the purpose of which is to push infectious matter from between the gums and the root of a tooth without promoting infection by tearing delicate tissues. The point of the pick being extremely flexible and soft at the tip, it may be guided by the tissues along a circular path around the tooth, as illustrated in Figure 5, the up Q Q r be formed of fibrous material as shown in F igure 1, or Whether a re-en'forcing central core piece 7 be covered with fibrous mater] al 1 as shown in Figure 4, these two forms of construction being regarded as substantial equivalents for each other.

I claim 1. A tooth pick composed v0t parallel fibers having a thin, fiat, flexible end portion tapering on all sides toward a point, said fibers being held together by a cellulose binder, which with the fibers has suflicient flexibreakable fibrous point, and a reinforced shank composed of material Which is more rigid than the material of which the point is composed.

at. A tooth pick having a point portion composed of medicated parallel fibers, connected With each other in the shank portion by a suitable binder, the point portion being flexible, and tapered on all sides to the extremity.

5. A tooth pick composed of non-breakable fibers permanently rein'forced and stiffened by embedding material and connected With each other in the shank portion, and raving converging exposed projecting ends forming the point of the pick, and adapted toserve as a brush.

6. A tooth pick composed of a flattened and tapered bundle of non-breakable fibers, in combination with an artificial embedding material connecting the fibers in the shank portions, and a reinforcing covering progressively increasing in thickness from its ends to the central portion.

JOHN P. CARMICHAEL. 

